Tales of East European Travel, Culture & Food (… With Occasional Diversions to Africa & Beyond)
The Lena Hoschek Autumn/Winter 2011 show at Berlin Fashion Week was filled with fabulously feminine printed dresses, delicate skirts and vibrant autumnal colours of amber and gold. It certainly had a rural/countryside feel to it. Check out some backstage footage, the show and an interview with Lena Hoschek in the video below…
Last week fashionistas descended upon Moscow for Spring/Summer 2011 Russian Fashion Week, the biggest fashion event in Eastern Europe. The RFW SS/2011 schedule included over 50 shows of cutting-edge designers from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, France, Peru, Italy and more. Check out our favourite catwalk ensembles below…
Russian label, Chapurin’s Autumn/Winter 2010-11 collection was shown at Paris Fashion Week on Saturday. The inspiration behind the collection was Siberia, the Russian terror incognita, thrown in the north to the icy embrace of the permafrost, confined in the south to a vast snowy taiga. The region serves the world as an historic metaphor of Russia, a symbol of a power of a civilisation battling the mighty force of nature. This land’s wild beauty, interwoven mixture of Slavic culture and the Siberian folk’s aged-old traditions have inspired Igor Chapurin to create his new collection. Its character is a personified essence of the northern land combining natural energy and depth, ardor and unbending will, powerful charisma and femininity.
Ashish is one of my favourite designers. Indian-born Ashish Gupta has been a big hit in Europe and Japan despite being relatively unknown in his home country. This season he welcomed fashionistas, including singer Paloma Faith who regularly wears his ensembles, to the world of Ashishistan, a former Soviet Republic, fondly known as the pearl of the Black Sea. Inspiration for the collection was drawn from lazy days in the sunshine, glistening mountain peaks, Turkmen rugs, traditional Uzbeki design, babushka handknits and Russian nostalgia including striped pyjamas, a nod to the days of Stalin’s gulag.
